show yourself out
by a-perfect-melody
Summary: Lily tells Petunia about her pregnancy.


show yourself out

so, I haven't written anything in ages. Life has been super busy these past few months but I'm finally getting back into the swing of writing, so I hope you'll all enjoy this little oneshot.

word count: 950 (without a/n)

no warnings necessary and prompts are below.

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disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and accept no credit towards it. I am not J.K. Rowling nor am I in any way affiliated with her.

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without further ado...

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The potatoes on Lily's plate were starting to get cold.

"What are you waiting for?" Petunia snapped, putting her knife and fork together with a neat little clink that made Lily's insides turn. "_Eat_, Lily."

Lily prodded half heartedly at a carrot, her stomach churning.

Petunia muttered something under her breath and stood up, beginning to collect plates for the dishwasher.

"Let me help." Lily said, rising from her chair, but Petunia looked at her with such distaste that she sunk back into her seat.

Silence.

Lily could hear rhythmic clattering as Petunia loaded cutlery into the sink before grabbing a washcloth and scrubbing at the surfaces.

"I'm pregnant." Lily said into the emptiness and there was the sound of shattering china as Petunia dropped the teacup she was holding.

Lily looked down at the table.

A loud expletive flew from the living room, where Petunia's husband, Vernon, was watching the football.

Tilting her head towards the sound, Petunia looked towards the door, as though she would rather be anywhere else than here with her sister.

Lily bit her lip.

"Tuney?"

"_What_?" Petunia whirled round, her mouth set in a grim line. "What do you want me to say, Lily?"

"I-" Lily faltered, her voice dying in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt something ache in her chest.

"Did Mum and Dad know?" Petunia asked, her tone harsh.

Lily shook her head.

"I'm not as far as you," she said and she could swear she saw Petunia flinch. "Only six weeks."

Their parents had died in a car accident two months ago but Lily kept forgetting that they weren't here anymore; that she could no longer give her mum a ring and hear her chat about the latest flowers planted in their garden, or go on walks with her dad when everything got a bit too much.

Petunia went silent for a moment and Lily knew that she was thinking of their parents too, of the way their dad would raid the larder and have midnight feasts with them, of the way their mum would go shopping and always bring back a present for each of them as well.

"I just wanted you to know," Lily said, shrugging in a sad sort of way and standing up.

"I assume that Potter boy is the father," Petunia spat and there was venom in her eyes.

"Don't talk about James like that," Lily said steely. "But, yes, of course he is."

"So." Petunia appeared to be a taking a deep breath. "So, this baby- will they be- _abnormal_ too?"

That stung. Lily felt anger warping her mind, her heart, tethering itself to her brain. She had known, of course, that Petunia wouldn't take the news well - she couldn't stand anything related to Lily these days - but she hadn't expected insults, to be belittled because of her magic like they were kids again.

Petunia was pregnant too, a few months further along than Lily, and Lily had hoped that it might ease the shock, that maybe they could help each other but-

"Tuney," she said, trying with great difficulty to keep her voice calm. "Tuney, you're going to be an aunt- please, don't let's be catty to each other- we're going to have kids in the family soon-"

"That baby's not going to be a part of my family." Petunia snarled and Lily felt as though she'd been kicked in the stomach.

"W-what?" She said, her voice wavering.

"You're not wanted here," Petunia said coolly and turned her back. "Show yourself out."

Lily couldn't find the words to say anything. Her throat was dry.

"Well, I'm sorry," she said finally, to the back of Petunia's head. "That you feel that way. If you change your mind, Tuney, call me. Please."

As she left the kitchen, she thought she heard Petunia begin to cry but by the time she had turned around, the kitchen door had been firmly shut so Lily picked up her purse and did exactly what Petunia had told her.

She showed herself out.

.

The cool November air pierced Lily's skin and she shivered, regretting her decision not to bring a coat.

She wandered around the neighbourhood for a while, just to be alone with her thoughts more than anything else.

She couldn't go back to James and his concerned smiles and warm hugs yet, couldn't see his face fall as her eyes welled up with tears. He was so excited about the baby and she couldn't crush him with what her sister had said, not with everything else going on.

So she walked, in almost a daze, until she found an empty park, swings swaying desolately in the biting breeze.

Lily wasn't sure what made her go in. Perhaps it was because it reminded her of the parks she and her sister used to play in when they were younger, back when Petunia still wanted her around.

She tiptoed over to the swings and sat down, resting her head against the cool metal and _wishing_.

Wishing that she could get rid of this empty ache inside her, the one that threatened to swallow her up into it's inky abyss.

Not for the first time, she wished for her sister back, the one who snuck into her bed when Lily had nightmares and told her stories until Lily fell back asleep, the one who always knew what to do when someone fell over.

Lily sat like that for a while before venturing over to the road, where she apparated back to her house, taking a deep breath before she opened the door.

And when she did, she saw James, and she saw _home_.

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written for Hogwarts: Assignment 2: Agricultural Science, Task 1

as always, thank you so much for reading. reviews are always appreciated! Xx


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